Snapshots
by KarotsaMused
Summary: [COMPLETE!] Everybody has their embarrassing little human moments, including the Sanzo-ikkou. Especially the Sanzo-ikkou.
1. Hic

A/N: Disclaimer: Saiyuki isn't mine. I shall go cry now.  
  
Hello and welcome to an interesting little fic I thought up after having a case of the hiccups for nearly an hour. It was fun, believe me. So I thought I'd share the joy! This will actually be an ongoing fic, with a bunch of different scenes of, well, humanity from the Sanzo-ikkou. They, too, make mistakes. They, too, have fully-functioning systems. And that makes for some funny stuff sometimes. So enjoy this first chapter and hang on for a few more. I have ideas. Wahaha.  
  
Warnings: Language, and that's really it. At least for now. Enjoy!  
  
...  
  
It was, as to be expected, another sunny, dry day. Sunny, dry, and hot. Gojyo was already coated with a fine sheen of sweat from the morning heat when he was amiably awakened by his roommate. He swatted irritably at the cause of his discomfort, and sat up when he realized both monk and hated harisen were gone. He grumbled a bit about the correct use of fans and how he was sick of undue bruises, not like he'd chosen to spend the night in the same room as a socially-inept flit with an anger management problem, _thankyouverymuch_. He grunted and got up, blinking against bright sunlight, shoved his feet into his boots, and sauntered out of the room in search of a little food.  
  
Hakkai and Goku met him downstairs, already partway into their morning meal. A stack of empty plates at Goku's elbow was steadily rising, while Hakkai sipped hot tea and looked on with a mild smile. Gojyo plopped down next to Hakkai, staring across at Goku. He touched the elbow of a passing waitress and murmured, "Whatever he had."  
  
"Sleep well?" Hakkai asked, looking pleasantly over at Gojyo. The redhead shrugged.  
  
"Just fantastic." He yawned. "I had the friendliest roommate I could have ever asked for. And you?"  
  
Hakkai gave a lazy half-cock of the head toward Goku. "I can get used to the snoring. Sanzo ought to be here in a few moments."  
  
"He left before I did." Gojyo grinned as the first platefuls of food came, winking in thanks at the waitress. She nodded gently, strolling away with an extra skip every few steps. Gojyo began to eat, nodding in appreciation of the flavor of his food. "Not bad, not bad." He glanced up and grinned at the brunette at his side. "Not as good as yours, but I'll live, right?" Hakkai smiled and relaxed back into his chair, waiting for Sanzo to break the comfortable chaos of the morning.  
  
Goku jumped. "Uh, guys?"  
  
Hakkai raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Goku? Is something wrong?" In response, a loud hiccup burst from Goku's mouth, along with a surprised and vaguely sheepish look from the golden-eyed boy.  
  
Gojyo laughed at the face Goku made. "Never had the hiccups before, saru?"  
  
"Not a -_hic!-_ saru! What's hiccups? They're weird!"   
  
Hakkai put his chin on his hand. "Well, Goku, they're involuntary..." He stopped, noting the glazed look the first polysyllabic word had left on Goku and tried to rephrase his statement. "Er, hiccups happen when you eat food too fast and swallow too much air. We can make them go away, though."  
  
Gojyo glanced over at Hakkai. "I guess that's what you get for shoveling food down so fast! Oi, Hakkai, let me try something?"  
  
Hakkai had a bit of distrust in his eyes, but replied, "I'm sure you know more hiccup cures than I do, Gojyo." The redhead quirked an eyebrow at that seemingly innocent statement, but didn't play into Hakkai's wit for the moment. He'd have to investigate the suggested implications of it later.  
  
"Okay, saru, it's common knowledge to get rid of the hiccups you gotta kiss a holy person." He nodded knowingly as Goku's eyebrows shot up toward his hairline. Gojyo took a sip of his coffee and added, "Lucky for you we have Sanzo around, huh?"  
  
Goku's hiccups crowded together in a desperate race out of his body. The boy shook with them, as well as apparent nerves at Gojyo's brash statement. Hakkai glared at the man next to him, not needing to land any blows to make a point. "What?" the redhead cried. "Scaring people normally works!"  
  
"Why, pray, are you scaring people?" a soft baritone asked, the words running like icewater down Gojyo's back. As predicted, Goku's big, bright eyes settled on Sanzo and his hiccups got even worse.  
  
"Gojyo _-hic!-_ says I gotta _-hic!-_ kiss you! San_-hic!-_anzo, you'll _-hic!-_ cure my hic_-hic!-_cups, right?"   
  
For that one, both Goku and Gojyo felt the wrath of the harisen. And, unfortunately, the use of a fan did nothing to mitigate the effects of the day's heat. Goku rubbed his head, hurt in his eyes. "Ow! That wasn't even my fault! ...Hey! They're gone!"  
  
Hakkai smiled, taking another sip of tea. "Well, what do you know. We have a foolproof cure for the hiccups."  
  
Gojyo, still reeling from the blow, sent a death glare up at Sanzo. Slowly and deliberately, he picked up his chopsticks and went to pick up a piece of sausage. Before doing so, however, he turned to Sanzo and growled, "Fuck _-hic!-_ you." 


	2. Stubble

A/N: Chapter two! I'm on a roll. Sort of. I like this chapter. The part of me that identifies most closely with Gojyo had a lot of fun with this chapter. Hope you will too. Enjoy!  
  
Pervasive Threnody & Sparrow: Thanks for reviewing so fast! I'm just in a write-y mood today. Yes, there are a few cute little pairing hints, because I can't help myself. And trust me, this is only one of many incidents that will give Sanzo _such_ a headache. Glad you're along for the ride.  
  
...  
  
Sanzo was not having a good morning. As mornings go, they weren't often noteworthy for their splendor. But this one was worse than most. The inn was so terribly underfacilitated as to force his companions and him into the same room that night. Worse, there were only two beds, which meant that he had to listen to Goku and Gojyo complaining from the floor. And, later, Gojyo's wheedling to get Hakkai to share the bed. Worse, the brunette had obliged, giving Goku the idea that perhaps Sanzo would be so kind. He was dozing when a hot hand tugged at the sheets, bringing his face down to level with dim, golden eyes and a hell of a case of cottonmouthed halitosis. He'd been roused from semi-peaceful trance and bothered to have to grab the harisen and shut the kid up. And then the saru's whimpering hadn't ceased for a good while after that.  
  
He'd gotten up before the sun and stumbled to the bathroom for a hot shower and a good shave. And there was where Sanzo had to give pause and glare at himself in the mirror. He was _definitely_ not having a good morning. This terrible, understocked inn had few complimentary amenities beyond a pitiful sliver of soap and warm water. A little, flat tube of toothpaste had been provided as an extra plus for the great Sanzo houshii-sama. He finger-brushed his teeth and spat in the little sink, refusing to give another look to his horrid reflection. He ran his hands through his wet hair, adjusted the hang of the leather around his arms, and returned to the room, the top of his robes slung over his arm.  
  
Goku was still asleep, sprawled on the floor with nothing but his clothes and a pillow under his head. It was from Sanzo's bed, secreted to the ground when the whining became too unbearable. Gojyo and Hakkai were in a similar state, laying with their backs pressed together, curled up and facing in different directions. They looked comfortable enough sleeping like that, with the only real friendly touch between them the pressure of their backs. That, and Gojyo's hand flung back to cup Hakkai's hip. The redhead sighed in sleep, mumbling some grimy incoherence under his breath. Sanzo shook his head and went to the window to watch the sun come up, lighting a cigarette as he walked. He rubbed his jaw and winced, scowling around the filter between his lips.  
  
"Ohayo," Hakkai greeted after a yawn. Sanzo turned and saw the brunette sitting up on his side of the bed, running a hand through his hair. "You beat me."  
  
Sanzo exhaled smoke into the air, watching the gray film dissipate. "You looked comfortable."  
  
Hakkai smiled and looked over to Gojyo. "He's a glutton for warmth. I'll be back," he said, and excused himself to the bathroom. This left Sanzo alone with Goku and Gojyo. Both unconscious, both reasonably silent. Sanzo could live with that. The cigarette disappeared before Hakkai returned, but not by much. Sanzo scrutinized the brunette's face and frowned. He stole a glance down at Gojyo and was similarly disappointed. Goku, he surmised, would provide the same result.  
  
"Is everything all right?" Hakkai asked, absently stroking Hakuryuu to wake the dragon. Sanzo sent him a look that conveyed Hakkai's utter idiocy in thinking to ask him such a question. Hakuryuu's red eyes opened and he let out a greeting keen, nuzzling into Hakkai's palm.  
  
Gojyo rolled over, blinking. "You folks ought to shut up and let a man sleep," he grumbled, running his hands through his hair. And then he caught sight of Sanzo. "Hallo, handsome," he said with a grin.  
  
Sanzo glared at him. "Try your sexual harassment on someone who cares, kappa." He lit another cigarette so he could bring his hands near his face. Damn this inn for being cheap. Damn them for keeping clean. Gojyo, he reflected, probably uses that gigantic shaku-jou on days like this.  
  
Gojyo got up. "No, no harassment at all," he murmured, edging closer. "I just want to catch a look at this. I thought you were a blonde, Sanzo-sama."  
  
Atoms sizzled before Sanzo's eyes. "I am." These two words held more promise of malice than any string of curses. But Gojyo couldn't help himself. He reached out and swiped a finger over the rough fuzz on Sanzo's cheek.  
  
"Blonde hair, blonde eyebrows, yes. But somebody in your family was a brunette, eh, Sanzo? The carpet doesn't match the drapes, does it, houshii-sama?"  
  
In a split-second, the gun was pressing into Gojyo's forehead. The redhead could have sworn the stupid thing was sitting on the table a few yards away. Maybe the shourejuu had radar for this. Before another word or, more probably, laughter could escape his throat, Hakkai came to the rescue.  
  
The brunette held something small and shiny in his hand. He held it open-palmed in Sanzo's line of vision. "One or the other," he said, smiling pleasantly. A moment's deliberation passed before Sanzo jammed the shourejuu into the waistband of his pants, grabbed the razor, and veritably zoomed back into the bathroom.  
  
"Careful not to cut yourself, Sanzo," Gojyo murmured, a ghost of a grin still twisting his features. "They don't have much toilet paper here either." 


	3. Eyebrow

A/N: Chapter three! Seriously, this is probably more fun for me to write than for you guys to read. But hey, thanks for suffering me n.n To the perceptive one who said "What goes around comes around," well, this is where Gojyo gets his. I try to pick on all the boys equally, but as this progresses I fear I have many ideas for just -one- character. The most un-pick-onnable of them all: Hakkai. But I will try to spread the pain(?) and I think I'm doing okay because the brunette hasn't even been the brunt of anything yet!  
  
Anyway enjoy this little chappie. Poor, poor Gojyo.

...  
  
It was midmorning when Gojyo slouched into the restaurant he'd seen Hakkai enter. He plopped down across from the brunette, rubbing his eyes. He wore his hair strangely, with most of it back in a ponytail. This in itself was not uncommon, but the way he covered his left eye with a thick fall of hair was. Gojyo prided himself on his looks, and to obscure his pretty face with his hair was uncharacteristic. Hakkai decided not to comment.  
  
"Long night?"  
  
Gojyo groaned and rubbed his forehead. "You don't want to know where I woke up. Somebody put something in the booze."  
  
Hakkai smiled. "I think, perhaps, it was the booze being put in _you_ that was the problem. You didn't lose too much money, I hope?"  
  
Gojyo snorted and turned away. "Oi. Coffee," he ordered, waving his finger at the proprietor. Hakkai reached out and patted his shoulder.  
  
"I'll hate to see you when Sanzo learns you lost your allowance."  
  
Gojyo turned and pouted at the brunette. "Aw, come on, Hakkai, cover for me. Just this once. I feel like I got hit by a truck!"  
  
"Which should be a lesson to you not to do this." Hakkai simply smiled at him, rubbing his shoulder. "What you do is your choice."  
  
Gojyo grumbled and put his forehead on the table. "Thanks a bunch, buddy."  
  
"Hey, Hakkai!" Goku greeted, bounding up to them. He wrinkled his nose when he caught sight of Gojyo. "You reek! Take a bath or something." When Gojyo's reply came back as a muffled groan, Goku bent down to the level of the table and lifted the fall of hair that had once obscured the left side of Gojyo's face. "You're in a good mood," Goku remarked. It took him a few more moments to realize it.  
  
Goku snorted loudly enough to garner the attention of a few passersby. His ensuing fit of laughter was cut short by Gojyo's hand shooting out and catching his collar, but Goku's shoulders were still shaking. "Lose a bet?" he sneered. Gojyo shook him and dropped his collar.  
  
"Obviously," Gojyo growled, still not removing his face from the table. Without Goku's hand in the way, his hair fell back and covered his face again. Hakkai raised both his eyebrows.  
  
"Let me see." Gojyo shook his head and put his hands over his face, to Goku's cackling. Hakkai peeled the redhead's hands away with gentle fingers and brushed his hair to the side. And had to work very hard to keep a straight face.  
  
"You bet your eyebrow?" _Of all the phrases I thought I'd never say..._ Hakkai thought.  
  
Gojyo grabbed his hair and ran his hand through it, brushing it back into place. "No, I bet my _money_. I was _drinking_. And the fuckers put something in the booze! I _told_ you this."  
  
Hakkai couldn't keep himself from grinning. He surrendered to the hilarity, but tried to soothe his best friend anyway. His nature rebelled against laughing at him without some sort of compensation. "We can...shave the other one off?"  
  
Gojyo glared at Hakkai, icy stare meeting a gleeful countenance. Goku had yet to completely quell his giggles. "How could you even suggest that?"  
  
Hakkai bit his lip. "Well..."  
  
"Shut up, you." Gojyo sat up and ran his hand through his hair, rubbing his forehead where his left eyebrow had been the night before. "So long as _nobody_," and here he glared at Goku, causing the golden-eyed boy to crack up again, "touches the hair, I should be fine."  
  
"Or a strong wind kicks up. As would happen in, say, an open-roofed car?" Hakkai added, raising his eyebrows. He put his hands up in a sign of surrender when Gojyo again sent an angry look his way.  
  
"At least grant me this," the redhead murmured, his look dissolving when Goku ran off to fetch Sanzo. "I'm still a sexy son of a bitch."  
  
Hakkai laughed openly at that, but before Gojyo could get indignant, he patted the redhead's hand. "Of course you are. And hopefully this will amuse Sanzo enough that he won't kill you for losing all that money." He paused a moment, and rubbed Gojyo's hand with his thumb. "You know..." he began, and stopped himself.  
  
Gojyo didn't move his head, but only his right eye to look over at Hakkai. "What?"  
  
Hakkai grinned a bit. "We still have those markers in back..."  
  
"Hakkai?"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"_No_."


	4. Bathtime

A/N: I'm glad you guys are enjoying this. "Monty Python's Flying Circus" is in no way mine. You'll understand in a while. This chapter is probably one of the worst...and best moments of Hakkai's life I could ever portray. It's definitely my favorite so far. Enjoy!  
...

Gojyo pouted, turning away and showing the right side of his profile. The _prettier_ side. Sanzo smirked and turned again to his beer. The day had been terribly long for Gojyo, especially after Sanzo discovered his temporarily asymmetrical state. Riding in the back of Jiipu hadn't been much better, because after every bump Goku would look over and snort at him. Hakkai's laughing eyes in the rearview mirror hadn't done much for his self-esteem either.  
  
"Okay, so we've figured out both of you don't like razors," Goku said around a mouthful of food. Sanzo and Gojyo simultaneously reached out and cuffed him around the ears. Gojyo finished eating and looked around.   
  
"Where's Hakkai?" he asked. He knew there was no way he'd be getting any sort of action that night, or any nights in the near future. Perhaps a game of cards would help him pass the time. He hadn't had a night in a long while where he didn't have the option of gambling, fighting, seducing _something_. Playing cards with Hakkai always soothed ruffled feathers, even if he did always lose.  
  
Sanzo rubbed his jaw contemplatively. Goku smirked at the movement. "In the baths, I believe," Sanzo answered, taking a swig of his beer. "I don't think healers can make hair grow faster," he remarked, a corner of his mouth quirking up as he watched Gojyo.  
  
The redhead pushed his chair back and waved his middle finger under Sanzo's nose, shoved his hands into his pockets, and sauntered off toward the baths. He took care to walk slowly, so that his hair swayed as little as possible. The tendrils caught under his chin and in his mouth, but it was better than exposing his face. As he neared the baths, however, Gojyo became suddenly preoccupied.  
  
A gentle, husky voice was singing softly, not horribly. Sometimes it would slip out of key, but the hesitant tones were most often spot-on. Coming closer, Gojyo could begin to pick out the words.  
  
"I've got a ... _lovely_ ... bunch of ... coconuts. Fiddle-tee-dee."  
  
Gojyo clamped down hard on his lower lip, a smile threatening to split his face in two. He edged closer to the door to hear more of the amusing serenade amidst the splashing of someone washing himself.  
  
"Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head..." The voice was becoming more confident with itself, echoing off of the tile and bounding out to Gojyo in steadily increasing volume. "Give 'em a twist, a flick of the wrist, that's what the showman said!"  
  
Gojyo leaned against the wall, shaking in giggles. The voice was hardly operatic, but at least mildly melodic. The song itself, however, was too priceless. It rebounded through the bathhouse, and Gojyo suddenly had the urge to find Hakkai. He would appreciate this little performance, maybe let go with another good laugh. Gojyo frowned a bit. A good laugh like he'd had that morning. Gojyo shook his head and, with one quick swipe of the bare skin over his left eye, set off to find Hakkai. He glanced inside every one of the baths and found himself alone. A few moments later, the lightbulb clicked on, bright enough to be seen from miles away. Gojyo couldn't help himself. He leaned heavy against the nearest wall and laughed until tears started to come to the corners of his eyes.  
  
When he regained control of himself, he snuck back to the door of the first bath and stood beside it, listening to the song. "There stands me wife, the idol of me life, singin' _roll-a-bowl-a-ball a penny a pitch_!" Hakkai's voice ratcheted into a squeak when the 'wife' was speaking, and this little inflection was the straw that broke the camel's back. Gojyo threw back his head and laughed again. He flicked the door open and staggered into the room, plopping down on the bench that had Hakkai's towel on it. The brunette jumped a foot, whirling in the water and peering at Gojyo over the edge of the basin.  
  
The redhead's laughter slowed to a trickle at Hakkai's eyes on him, but he couldn't fully bring himself to stop.  
  
"How long...how long have you been there, Gojyo?" Hakkai asked softly, his fingers curling over the edge of the tub.  
  
In response the redhead could only start to laugh again. Hakkai splashed him with a double armful of bathwater. Gojyo dodged, but was soaked from waist down. So, coincidentally, was Hakkai's towel. Gojyo looked at the sodden lump, looked again at Hakkai, and bit his lip to keep the laughter in. "There's...there's more towels elsewhere. Want me to get you one?"  
  
Hakkai sighed. "Please."  
  
"It's the least I could do," Gojyo responded, ducking out of the room. "After such a lovely performance." He grinned and trotted to the linen closet, grabbing a couple of big, fluffy towels. When he returned, Hakkai was shaking out his wet hair, standing waist-deep in the water. Gojyo handed one towel to him and kept the other behind his back.  
  
"What is that for?" Hakkai asked, wrapping the towel about his waist and climbing out.  
  
Gojyo frowned. "It was going to be for when you got mad at me for laughing. But if you're not drying off, it's for this." He grabbed Hakkai's shoulders with terrycloth-clad hands and rubbed. He left the fabric wrapped in a playful half-turban on Hakkai's head. The brunette smiled. He walked past Gojyo, toward his room. The redhead grinned and followed, giving Hakkai's rear a pat.  
  
"Lovely bunch of coconuts, huh?"  
  
Hakkai glanced over his shoulder at the redhead. "Don't push it, monobrow." 


	5. Battle

A/N: Hello, folks! Welcome to another chapter. I'll try to pick on everyone evenly, so you know whose turn this is. I'm glad you guys are enjoying it. And a specialized note to p3c: Oh, trust me. I have more giggle-fits than you could believe. If I didn't, I don't think I'd be human...  
  
...  
  
"Hey! It's droopy-eyes!!" cried Lirin.  
  
"Fancy meeting you here," greeted Gojyo.  
  
"Get off me!" Sanzo hollered.  
  
"Nice look, bro. You're handsome," Doku sneered.  
  
"Good afternoon, Yaone-san," Hakkai hailed.  
  
"_Shut up_, that wasn't my fault!" Gojyo wailed.  
  
"Hello, Hakkai-san. How are you?" said Yaone.  
  
"Got any meat buns on you, droopy-eyes?" Lirin asked.  
  
"Quite fine. Thank you for asking. Shall we spar?" questioned Hakkai.  
  
"Get off my shoulders or I'll shoot you," threatened Sanzo.  
  
The muddle of voices was familiar enough to Goku, familiar enough for him to tune them out. As his companions conversed with their respective opponents, he set his brilliant golden eyes upon his chosen partner. Kougaiji eyed him with a similar tunnel vision, eyes as cold as steel. Oh, Goku was going to _enjoy_ this.  
  
The day had been long and boring for Goku, another set of miles put between him and the place he'd left that morning. Another stretch of hours spent squabbling with Gojyo over food, over space in the backseat. And then, of course, he'd been hit with the fan. Gojyo wasn't much fun to fight with that day either, still sore about his eyebrow and touchy about nearly everything else. Goku never realized how amicable getting laid on a daily basis had made Gojyo. Now that his outlet was gone, the redhead was prone to bouts of bitchiness worse than Sanzo. Goku quickly chided himself for even _thinking_ that about Sanzo. But he knew it was true.  
  
They'd all been pretty frayed as the journey wore on, grating on one another's nerves, falling apart at the drop of a hat. Recent misfortunes of carelessness or circumstance had added to the general air of irritability. Only Hakkai smiled, and that was the false face the brunette always wore. Goku didn't like that smile. It felt like a lie, and Goku hated lies more than anything else. Lies, and wasting food.  
  
Fighting Kougaiji was fun. Fighting Kougaiji was a challenge. And fighting Kougaiji would take his mind off of everything else up to and including his recent discoveries concerning hiccup cures. Come to looking at him, Kougaiji looked like he could use a bit of a fight himself. There were bags under the redhead's eyes and a tenseness about him, worse than Goku remembered from him.  
  
With a shrug, the golden-eyed boy summoned the nyoi-bou and began to dance around Kougaiji, dodging blows and aiming for some of his own. They were never a pair to feint or display any courtesies, but fought on instinct and gut twitches. Goku hit a stack of crates, losing his wind for a moment. He got back to his feet again, coughing, and saw Kougaiji perched on a nearby roof, waiting and watching. Goku made a show of brushing off his shoulders, grinned, and dove back into their personal fray.  
  
Blow, blow, dodge, duck, attack. Over and over, in a sort of rhythm with no melody other than their soft grunting every time an offensive hit home. The nyoi-bou rebounded off of one of Kougaiji's attacks, sending them both flying in different directions. Goku barreled into Hakkai, knocking them both to the ground. They skidded as one for a few yards before coming to a stop. Kougaiji caught Doku in the side, and the two of them tumbled before coming to rest flattened against a building.  
  
Hakkai helped Goku to his feet, who returned the favor. "Are you okay?" Goku asked, looking down at his friend. Hakkai nodded, and smiled at Yaone. Her eyes were asking the exact same question. Hakkai dusted himself off and turned to the violet-haired youkai, nudging Goku out of the way.  
  
"Shall we continue, Yaone-san, or shall we watch these two?" he asked, holding out his hand to her. She blushed and came to stand at his side.  
  
"I do feel the need for a break coming on. Thank you, Hakkai-san." And with that, the two of them took a seat on a pile of rubble level and stable enough to act as a bench. Goku grinned at them and looked over to find his opponent.  
  
Doku and Kougaiji had gone through much the same conversation, with Gojyo and Doku opting to back off and let Kougaiji and Goku have the floor. From the look of it, Doku was poking fun at Gojyo's face and Gojyo was about ready to start fighting his half-brother again, entertainment handy or not. Sanzo was keeping Lirin pacified, although he didn't look too happy about it.  
  
Goku nodded at Kougaiji, who wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and nodded back. As one, they charged at one another.  
  
Goku looked only at his target, at Kougaiji, hefting the reassuring weight of the nyoi-bou in his hands. And suddenly the ground rushed up to meet him. Goku's boot flew from his foot, landing in the dirt some yards away, coming to a rest even before Goku stopped skidding across the ground. The offending tree root stood unharmed in the dirt, nearly invisible against the ground. Kougaiji managed to stop himself in time without running over Goku. His demure face bore a look that elegantly conveyed _Um_ to all those present.  
  
Yaone put her hands over her mouth. "Oh, my!" Sanzo looked over at her and scoffed.  
  
"Talk about your anticlimax," Gojyo remarked, unsure of what Kougaiji was going to do but not above grasping the humor of the situation. Kougaiji looked him dead in the eyes, and then at Doku, continuing until he had met the face of every person watching. And then, to the shock of his audience, Kougaiji took a knee and nudged Goku's shoulder.  
  
"Can you stand?"  
  
...  
  
About half an hour later, Gojyo and Sanzo sat outside smoking, staring at the rubble. Hakkai came out onto the porch with them, dusting off his hands. "His chin, hands, and elbows are all good as new. The scrape on his knee is another matter." Hakkai shook his head. "I'll never be able to get the bloodstains out of his pants."  
  
Gojyo snorted into his cigarette. "Like he cares."  
  
Hakkai murmured in his throat, looking out into the destruction they had left. Shops had been decimated into piles of timber, stone, and cloth. It would cost the town an extreme amount of money, labor, and time to repair the damage. "You have to admit," Hakkai added softly, "it was terribly sporting of Kougaiji to let Goku off like that. Despite Goku's hurt pride."  
  
Gojyo laughed, remembering having to manhandle Goku inside before Kougaiji changed his mind. "I don't think anybody was feeling much like a fight today except for him. That meeting wasn't exactly planned on their end, either."  
  
"Yaone wanted to pick up some fresh herbs and supplies," Sanzo muttered, blowing a smoke ring. "We just happened to walk in on a routine errand."  
  
"So really," Hakkai surmised, a hint of a real grin on his features, "if Goku wasn't so clumsy, we might have ruined one another's days." 


	6. Lesson

A/N: It seemed apt to give Sanzo a brainfart, what with all those idioms he recites periodically. And once Sanzo had the brainfart, things snowballed...Enjoy   
  
...  
  
Goku padded around in socked feet, still grumbling about having to cut his brawl with Kougaiji short. Sanzo, sitting cross-legged on his bed, tried to focus on the newspaper in his lap. Sanzo enjoyed reading the newspaper, insofar as he could express enjoyment. It was nice to see inane happenings pinned down in words, some show of solidarity in any lives whatsoever, even if it was not meant for him. His constants, few as they were, were more likely to make obituaries than headlines. However, Goku's boundless energy ensured Sanzo had no serene environment in which to read and reflect.  
  
"Stop that," he ordered, glaring at Goku. The golden-eyed boy plunked down in a chair, staring out the window. He began to swing his feet, bumping his heels in a rhythm on the floor. Sanzo glared at him again, made a show of straightening a crease in his paper, and tried to continue to read. Goku, however, refused to stop fidgeting.  
  
Sanzo made sure the click of the safety being unlatched echoed in the stillness of the room. Goku's eyes locked on him. "Settle down or go somewhere else," Sanzo advised. Goku looked away with a frown.  
  
"Gojyo and Hakkai went out shopping and said since Kougaiji knows we're here I should stay with you. And not to get the hiccups unless I really, really wanted them," Goku added as an afterthought, already beginning to swing his legs again. "And it's boring doing nothing."  
  
Sanzo scowled at his paper. "I happen to like this. Leave me alone."  
  
Goku shook his head. "Not supposed to. Hakkai asked me to stay. And what if Kougaiji does come back, huh?" Goku grinned at the thought. "I didn't finish anything yesterday!" He turned and looked out the window, scanning the crowd for anybody he knew, friend and foe alike. Once disappointed with the view, he turned back to Sanzo. "I can't help it if I've got nowhere to put my energy."  
  
Sanzo folded the newspaper and sat up straighter. He'd heard familiar things before. He'd heard it from Goku more than once. He'd heard it from himself, in his younger years. And he knew what Komyou had always told him in such a time. It seemed appropriate now, to give Goku something to think about and hopefully keep him quiet for a little while.  
  
"Come here," Sanzo said, beckoning Goku to come and sit with him so he might impart the lesson without having to raise his voice. It was much easier to speak wisely when speaking softly, the gentle words sinking more comfortably into a relaxed mind. He pulled off his reading glasses and hung them from the neck of his robe.  
  
Goku climbed onto the bed, sitting cross-legged across from Sanzo, unsure of what the monk was about to do. He put his hands in his lap, rested his elbows on his knees, and waited. Sanzo put his chin on his hand and said, "When one is overloaded with energy, bored with no outlet, they should remember this." Sanzo paused, either for breath or for drama. Goku waited for the lesson, waited for something out of the monk.  
  
All he got was a glassy, violet stare and an utterly stoic expression. After a few moments of this, Goku felt his muscles twitching. The only bit of Sanzo that moved was his hair, rustling in the breeze. Goku blinked a few times, edging his face a little closer to see if Sanzo's eyes would even refocus on him. The monk blinked, surprised, and leaned back, reopening his newspaper.  
  
Goku frowned. "What should they remember? Hello? Sanzo?"  
  
Was it his imagination, or was there a slight tint of pink to Sanzo's cheeks? The monk slowly lowered the newspaper in front of his face and murmured, "It...slipped my mind." Before he could raise the newspaper again, Goku grabbed it.  
  
"Well, can't you remember it?" the golden-eyed boy pleaded, frustrated. Sanzo had built him up and completely neglected to let him back down again. He wanted to know what Sanzo was about to say. Maybe it would break the monotony of the day. Maybe it would help him and all his restless energy. Maybe it wouldn't. But Goku wanted to know no matter what the outcome.  
  
Sanzo, however, didn't take kindly to having his reading material snatched out from under his nose. He grabbed for it, but Goku put the paper behind his back, kneeling in front of Sanzo. The monk scowled and reached for the newspaper again, but Goku leaned back out of the way.  
  
"I don't remember, bakasaru, now give it back!" Sanzo snarled. But Goku would have none of it, holding the newspaper out of Sanzo's reach. He had something to hold for ransom, and Goku was beginning to learn that it was _fun_.  
  
Sanzo sat back, uncrossed his legs, and dove for the newspaper, coming up onto his knees. Goku continued leaning out of the way until he was nearly flat on the bed, his arm hanging over the foot of it. He dropped the paper just as the door swung open. Sanzo barely had any time to glance at the intrusion before he lost his balance and toppled over Goku, his mouth coming in contact with the bony boy's shoulder.  
  
Gojyo snorted, pulling his hair out of the way of his left eye so he could get a better look. "Can't we leave you two alone for an instant?" he crowed, setting a bag of groceries down on the table. "Oi, Goku, if you manage to untangle yourself from loverboy, Hakkai wants your help unloading Jiipu. It'll go faster with you. But if you don't want to leave," Gojyo added with a wink, "I completely understand."  
  
Goku frowned at Gojyo. "What do you mean?" he asked. Sanzo was already back up on his haunches, gun in hand. It was pointed at Gojyo, but with Goku's question the monk's concentration wavered. The kappa snuck out of the room fast enough to only be shot in the tip of his retreating ponytail.  
  
Goku sat up and looked at Sanzo. "Uh, sorry about the newspaper. I didn't think it was all that funny. I'm...um...going to go help Hakkai." He looked apprehensively at the barrel of the shourejuu before jogging out the door to solace.  
  
Sanzo dropped the gun, put his glasses back on, and retrieved his newspaper. Once he finally calmed down enough to concentrate on the words, he remembered. And he realized what he had been about to say to Goku wouldn't have affected the saru any more than a good beating would have. 


	7. Pickup

A/N: This chapter is shorter than the last two because, well, it's just sort of blatantly Gojyo. No real undertones. I like this. And Sparrow, if this isn't a return to form, the next chapters will definitely give you the giggles. I'm feeling especially maniacal toward Hakkai this evening, although what I'm planning I may save for the finale. This fic will have twelve chapters, three each centering on a certain member of the Sanzo-ikkou. Yes, I'm being fair. My ideas sort of panned out that way. Wahaaa. Enjoy  
  
...   
  
Gojyo grinned at his reflection in the mirror. He winked at himself and flipped his hair, enjoying himself. "Hell yes," he purred at his reflection, licking his thumb and smoothing out his eyebrows. Both of them. Growing them out had been an arduous, painful, and at times even itchy process, but it was worth all the chagrin to finally be beautiful again. Gojyo waggled his eyebrows, loving the look. One never knew how good one's looks really were until something screwed them up.  
  
He pulled all of his hair back into a tail and sauntered out of his room, making his way to a seat next to Hakkai. He plunked down in the chair and smiled over at the brunette. Hakkai raised his eyebrows. Gojyo nodded with an even bigger grin, taking a satisfied swig of Hakkai's beer. Of what he assumed was Hakkai's beer.  
  
Sanzo swatted him with the harisen. "Get your own, disgusting cockroach."  
  
Gojyo made a show of biting the tip of his tongue and wiping his lips with the back of his hand. He was still grinning. Nothing but nothing could break his stride that night. From then on, he would at least appreciate the intact state of his facial features. Not another hair would be taken for granted. For at least a week, maybe ten days if there were lots of mirrors around.  
  
"We've already ordered food for you," Hakkai explained conversationally. "And beer too."  
  
Sanzo snorted. "He can keep that," he sneered, motioning with a flick of his wrist to the offending sheen of saliva Gojyo left on the lip of his can. In response, Gojyo shrugged and downed the rest of the can's contents, catching a stray drop from the corner of his mouth with the heel of his hand.  
  
"It may take a while," Hakkai added, closing his eyes into his own smile. "Goku was impatient and entered the kitchen, despite the proprietor's best efforts."  
  
Gojyo smirked. "I'm surprised the fires haven't started yet." He leaned back in his chair, veritably sprawling on the furniture. "Well, I'm up for some fun. It's been a while."  
  
Goku exploded from the kitchens, his arms laden with platefuls of food. Two people trailed him, also weighted with plates and bowls. Hakkai smiled. "It appears the ladies here are safe for at least another ten minutes or so. If this can occupy the two of you for that long."  
  
Gojyo grinned and realized how hungry he was for the first time that night. He hadn't been paying attention to his gut in light of other happy discoveries a few feet northward. And a ravenous need about six inches to the south. Gojyo decided it could wait. His stomach gnawed at his spine in agreement. He could wait a bit longer. _A man's got to have his priorities, after all_.  
  
The stuff was divine. Goku and Gojyo barely had time to fight over scraps of it because the harrowed, tense cook behind the scenes had decided not to give Goku time to come back and visit him again. There were always more plates on their way, loaded in heaps with the best food they'd tasted in weeks. Hakkai did astoundingly well with dried provisions, but a fully-loaded kitchen beat a crate of jerked beef any day. Even Sanzo cleared a plate. When Gojyo was full, Goku was still going full-steam. Out of sheer bemused wonder, Gojyo, Hakkai, and Sanzo stayed by and watched the kid pack the food away. Gojyo noticed, not without some inner snickering, that Goku was taking his time, insofar as Goku could ever slow down while eating. _Guess he doesn't want another case of the hiccups. I wonder why that could possibly be?_  
  
And then he saw her. Gojyo quirked a perfect eyebrow and tore his attention from the spectacle at his table to watch her. A brunette, with bright chocolate eyes and lovely waves in her hair. She had long eyelashes and full lips and a fantastic tan. And her legs went all the fuckin' way to the _floor_. Without a second thought, Gojyo unfolded into a standing position, jauntily straightened his vest, and went to her.  
  
"Evening," he drawled, putting his arm on the bar and effectively boxing her between her stool and his body. She scrutinized him for a moment before deciding he was definitely worth a few moments of her time.  
  
"So it is," she responded, leaning on the bar with both elbows. This deftly calculated move left her breasts hanging between arm and torso, showing off every curve in her possession. Oh, this one was smart. She slowly uncrossed, recrossed her legs, idly swinging her free foot. "Are you from around here?"  
  
Gojyo grinned at her, and was pleased when she returned the smile. "Not at all. I was wondering if you'd like to show me around."  
  
Her eyes flicked away from his gaze for an instant, then back. Then they dropped again, but only minutely. She was still looking at his face, he knew. Had it really been so long? He hadn't remembered his smile being so entrancing. Maybe she had something about lips. And so he kept grinning, just to see her expression.  
  
"I think you'd like the greenhouses," she murmured, folding a napkin between her slender fingers. "Seeing as you like growing things so much."  
  
This was strange. Gojyo raised an eyebrow, nonplussed but persistent. "How do you tell?" he asked. She only laughed and put her hand on his arm when she got up. She left without even divulging her name. Gojyo watched her go, his palms itching at the sight of that tight skirt as she walked. But she had turned him down. In such an unusual manner, too. Gojyo shook his head and returned to his chair. Goku sat, sated, in the middle of a huge pile of plates.  
  
"I hear it's like riding a bike," Hakkai offered, ever helpful. "You just need practice."  
  
Gojyo smiled at that. "I'm sure it is." He turned to Hakkai, noting a bit of a quirk in the brunette's facial expression. "What?"  
  
Hakkai chuckled a bit, refusing to look at Gojyo. The redhead turned away and heard Sanzo snort. "What?" he demanded.  
  
Sanzo lit a cigarette, inhaled deeply, and sighed. "It may have been the spinach trapped around your incisor. That is this man's educated guess. _Idiot_." 


	8. Pleasures

A/N: Glad you guys are still enjoying this. It's Hakkai's turn again. I'm just in a rut of going in a regular pattern, I suppose. This ... is probably one of the most ooc moments of the entire fic, but once I got the idea I really couldn't help myself. You never know. It might just happen. Everybody has a guilty pleasure. Lucian is actually a character of my friend's, goes by the full name of Lucian Bienenstock, librarian by profession, full-time crazyboy by birth. He reminds us both of Hakkai at times. And the title of the book is a play on "Lucid Dreams", which may or may not be taken from the fact that I have a "Vanilla Sky" poster right above my computer. Abren los ojos. Enjoy.  
  
...  
  
Hakkai smiled and excused himself from the dinner table. Gojyo and Goku were suitably occupied in a highly competitive game of Speed with Gojyo's nearly decimated deck of cards. Scraps of paper went from draw pile to hand so fast the abused pieces of paper nearly folded every time. Sanzo had returned to the room he would be sharing with Goku for some solitude, wanting to get away from the adoring townspeople and his irksome companions. Hakkai felt a little guilty about giving Gojyo a reasonably open tab, but he had politely asked the barmaid to cut Gojyo off when she felt he had had enough. He'd asked with the smile few people ever saw twice if the orders were not obeyed to the letter. Because of that, Hakkai had reasonable confidence in the woman.  
  
He made his way back to the room he was to share with Gojyo, the room with the table and the chair and the warm, yellow lights. Hakkai gently shut the door behind him, crossed the room to the window, and looked out into the night for a while. The town they'd found was serene as any, with the constant noises of selling and buying, of life going on as per usual. He gripped the windowsill with both hands, feeling the roughness of the painted wood under his fingers. If Hakkai concentrated, he could hear the noises of Goku and Gojyo's game, the redhead crowing in victory and Goku's whine for another round. Hakkai smiled a little, shot one more glance back at the door, and rummaged in a pile of laundry. He planned to wash it the next morning, once he'd gotten a few more articles from the others. In among the clothes, however, was a glossy, pointed pleasure Hakkai had taken careful time to hide from his comrades.  
  
Hakkai didn't remember when he'd picked it up, half out of perverse curiosity and half because he supposed Gojyo would get a kick out of it. It had been on a grocery run one mundane day, and the brightness of it called to him to be lifted from a rack near the cashier. He'd picked it up, thumbed through the pages, chuckled to himself, and bought the book because it made him laugh. He ignored the strange look given him by the merchant, grinning incredulously at the book's weight against his arm the entire way home. And then, after putting all the food away, he'd had a quiet moment. And he'd started reading.  
  
The book in Hakkai's hands was worn nearly through at the spine for the number of times it had been opened. The gloss on the cover was wearing through and some of the pages were soft from being dog-eared. It was the only book he'd brought on the journey, the only one he'd ever bothered to finish. He'd read it at least six times.  
  
Hakkai ran his thumb down the spine, taking a seat in the chair and crossing one leg over the other. He adjusted his monocle, pulled back the cover, and dropped from his reality into the comfortable and familiar world of the book. Although he knew the storyline well, certain points never failed to set his heart pumping at a pleasant clip.  
  
Time passed, and the noises of the outside world died down into familiar slumber. Faint noises of the last few night owls could be heard, but were easily drowned out by the sound of wind in the trees. As the night progressed, the only sounds to be heard were the gentle rustles of pages turning and Hakkai's breathing. He read intently, eyes roaming the words, drinking them in, losing himself in them. And then, ever so gently, a rosy blush tinted Hakkai's cheeks. He paused a moment, flipped back a page, and reread a passage. The soft blush intensified, moving to the tips of Hakkai's ears.   
  
One hand left the book, coming to rest with gentle fingertips on his chin, rubbing slowly at his lip. He knew the words, knew the scenes, oh yes, knew the images that had already gone through his mind so many times. But he loved them all. He loved them because there was nothing of himself in any of it. He loved them because there was the sort of love involved that got its happy ending. He loved them because of the way everyone -deserved- the adoration they got. Even the most despicable of them all was understandable. Was impulsively, carnally _real_. And every time he read it, Hakkai found himself enraptured again and again by the main character, Lucian. Lucian, who was so alike and so different from him. Lucian, who had the same feelings he did. Lucian who was, at the moment, being absolutely and deliciously ravished, head to gorgeous foot.  
  
Hakkai prided himself on enjoying intelligent literature, indulging in matters of the mind whenever he craved relaxation. He always picked up a book or two when they had to pause in their journey to recuperate or for other insurmountable reasons, and every time Gojyo or Goku would gape at the title. None of them knew about Lucian, and none of them would _ever_ know about Lucian.   
  
Hakkai looked up at that thought, glancing around to ensure he was still alone. He dog-eared the page, set the book in his lap, and cleaned off his monocle with the hem of his shirt. He'd reached as good a stopping point as any. When Gojyo returned from his night's conquests, however successful they might have been, Hakkai knew he would already be asleep.  
  
Hakkai got to his feet and stashed the book in the pile of dirty laundry, making mental note to retrieve it before he put the clothes in the wash the next morning.  
  
...  
  
Sanzo patted the pockets of his jeans, having given his robes to Hakkai for a routine wash. He snarled at the unsuccessful search for cigarettes, not at all in the mood to ask Gojyo for one of his disgusting, cheap tarsticks. He went in search of his robes, not wanting to have his last pack sent through the wash. A quick glance into the room Hakkai and Gojyo had shared brought to his attention a pile of dirty clothes, onto which had most recently been added his robes.  
  
Sanzo dug into the hidden pockets of his sleeves, quickly securing his beloved cigarettes, when his hand bumped something hard, something not at all clothing-shaped. Before he could stop himself, he unearthed what his questing fingers had hit and stared for a few moments in silent shock at the cover of a worn, old book. The cover was an unassuming, dull brown except for a small painting beneath the heavy letters of the title. "Lucian Dreams". And that small painting had two of the most beautiful creatures ever poured from a brush. In a most compromising position. Surrounded by shining silk. And they were both most definitely male.  
  
Without a word, Sanzo dropped his robes back over the book, turned on his heel, and walked very, very carefully out of Hakkai's room. He suddenly felt quite naked in only his leathers and jeans. And wondered, to the horror of his own consciousness, exactly _what_ incentive Hakkai really had for doing their laundry time after time. 


	9. Surprise

A/N: p3c: Dammit, you found me out! The premise was the humorous bit, just for its incongruity. And then I set about making it in-character for Hakkai. This one is also a little more like the last chapter, with a few mild humorous happenings but a lot of humanity. I wrote this one as set-up for the next one. Which will definitely be a return to the gigglefits. So bear with me for now -.-

OH by the way. With this post I have now officially posted more than TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND words on ff.net! And in less than a year! Yay me! [boogie] Yeah, thought I'd share that. Waha.  
  
...  
  
"Sanzo, are you sure nothing is wrong? You look tired."  
  
"I'm _fine_," Sanzo griped, turning away from Hakkai and burying his nose in a three-month-old magazine he'd managed to find. Three days of nonstop driving had led them to a hellhole worse than most, nearly deserted, painfully decrepit, and poverty-stricken. They'd viewed the arrival of the Sanzo-ikkou as their salvation. Sanzo had barely gotten a moment of solitude. Gojyo was out about what little town there was, "stimulating the economy". Goku had found a few boys willing to play with him and was making friends like any normal person. Hakkai had earlier remarked on how wonderful it was to watch.  
  
Hakkai. Ever since Sanzo had found the book, he was plagued by constant questions about Hakkai. He thought he was familiar with the man, and still felt he knew most of Hakkai's mannerisms, but he had always been at a loss as to what went on behind the mask the man wore every day. Worse, the knowledge was affecting Sanzo's actions toward Hakkai on a daily basis. Most of it was irrational, but Sanzo had been hit on by men before. It was unsettling, to say the least. He hated himself for lumping Hakkai into that group after just one incident in which Hakkai hadn't even expressed any desire toward him, but the gut reaction had already taken place.  
  
The rest of the reaction, however, was epiphanic to the most obvious degree. It certainly explained a lot about Hakkai. And the way he sometimes looked at Gojyo. Sanzo shook his head and tried to focus on the outdated articles in the magazine, the gloss already rubbed from the pages in his hands.  
  
...  
  
Sanzo woke before the sun, but after Hakkai. The brunette sharing his room had already left, leaving Sanzo alone to ready himself for the day. The shower, he found, produced a tepid, pathetic spray of water that went frigid after two minutes. Sanzo gritted his teeth and continued through it, knowing he'd done worse before. He dressed to the waist, examined himself in the mirror, and grabbed the razor Hakkai had given him so long before.  
  
There was enough soap to provide some semblance of a lather, though nothing around to mitigate the inevitable rawness left afterward. Sanzo didn't mind as much as he let on; a little pain helped him work up a suitably dour shield of irritability his good night's sleep had decimated. He had opened his eyes feeling quite good, with no tense muscles nor complaint about the noise of his neighbors. It truly was discomforting.  
  
As Sanzo dragged the razor over his skin, he let his mind wander. It really was obvious, when he came to think of it. Three years of living with Gojyo had to have done something to him, had he not already been ... inclined in that direction. Gojyo, who was pure and disgusting insinuation all of the time. And Hakkai was susceptible like that. Vulnerable like that. Yes, it was logical that those tendencies would develop. But...a softcore novel? That, Sanzo mused, didn't seem like Hakkai at all. _Well_, Sanzo decided to himself, _I'll just have to shoot him if he zones off while driving_.  
  
So lost in his thoughts was he that Sanzo didn't hear the noises of Goku awakening. The bathroom door slammed open with a noise like gunfire, the doorknob careening into the wall and bouncing back. Sanzo jumped, dragging the razor across his jaw in shock. With it came a fine, razor-sized strip of the outermost layers of his skin.  
  
Sanzo whirled to glare at Goku, who stopped mid-syllable. There were a few moments of gaping shock, where blood ran from Sanzo's jaw down his neck and soap ran into the areas not obscured by blood. The blonde winced at the sting of it, but this could not mitigate the message his eyes were sending to Goku.   
  
"I was, um. Going to ask if you knew where Hakkai was. Should I...get him?"  
  
In response, Sanzo pulled the harisen out of thin air and pitched it, with pinpoint accuracy, at Goku's head. He then turned back to the mirror and shaved the side of his face not covered in blood while waiting for the boy to bring Hakkai over. Not that he wouldn't mind the scar. It just stung like hell. Sanzo bent down and rinsed his face in the sink, running his fingers gently over the large cut, more like someone had run a cheese slicer over his face than merely surprised him with a razor in his hand. He was in the process of cleaning the blood from his neck and collarbone when he heard Hakkai come in.  
  
"Let me look at it."  
  
Sanzo let Hakkai take his face in between his hands and probe at the wound. The brunette smiled, his palm hovering over the blood. "Did Goku surprise you?" Sanzo looked away with a frown as the warmth of Hakkai's chi drew his own to the surface. Sanzo's skin closed over itself after a few seconds, perfect and pristine. Hakkai chuckled a bit, letting go of Sanzo. "I'm glad you didn't think to shoot him. I actually would have had to work hard at that."  
  
He stepped back and eyed his handiwork, nodding in appreciation. "There won't even be a scar. But Sanzo, your sideburns aren't straight." Hakkai grinned. "You might want to work a little bit on that before you come out and give Goku what he deserves." Hakkai wiped his hands off on his pants, smiling softly. "Go easy on him, though. He feels terrible about it."  
  
And with that, Hakkai left Sanzo to stare at himself in the mirror. After a few moments, he put one finger on either side of his head and, feeling like an absolute idiot, measured the length of his sideburns to see if what Hakkai had told him was really true.


	10. Present

A/N: Glad everybody's still liking this. As I go, as is my nature, I fall in love with the characters that I have embarrassed. I can't help it. My goal was, and is, to show a little more humanity from the seemingly-perfect characters of Saiyuki. They _are _perfect, whether or not you think so, and I wanted to give them a few more real moments not drenched so deeply in angst. But I couldn't resist writing this chapter. The definitions below will make more sense once you've finished the chapter. Two more after this one. Enjoy.  
  
Daffodils: respect; "the sun always shines when I am with you"  
  
Hyacinth: "please forgive me"  
  
Jonquil: desire for affection returned  
  
Daisies: loyalty and innocence  
  
Camellia: good luck gift for a man  
  
...  
  
For a few days, Hakkai watched Goku with a soft smile on his face and one perhaps a little more wry in his heart. The boy had apologized for surprising Sanzo when the monk had a potentially deadly object in close proximity to his jugular, but still Sanzo refused to accept it and still Goku moped about. It had gotten to the point where Goku had become desperate.  
  
Hakkai and Gojyo sat together on the back porch of their current inn, a much nicer place than the last few stops they had made. Gojyo enjoyed a smoke and Hakkai's company, and they were murmuring to one another about inane things, just conversing because it was so easy. Every once in a while, Gojyo would laugh. Goku came and stood between their chairs, hands in his pockets.  
  
"Hakkai?"  
  
The brunette looked up and smiled at the intrusion. "Is there a problem?"  
  
Goku frowned a little, looking away. "If...if someone's mad at you and you want to fix the problem, what do you do?"  
  
Hakkai made a show of intense thought. Truly, he'd been ruminating on the question himself, feeling sympathy for Goku. "Well, if I've apologized and that didn't work, I'd perhaps try giving that person a present."  
  
Gojyo grinned. "Flowers or candy. Both, even. Works with women all the time." The redhead craned his neck to look at Goku. "Might work in your case too."  
  
Goku shook his head, too troubled to argue with Gojyo about entering the conversation without an invitation. "He...doesn't like sweet things."  
  
"The flowers are always worth a try." Hakkai put his chin on his hand, looking out of the porch instead of at Goku or Gojyo. "Anything you might buy him, aside from perhaps a pack of cigarettes or food, he won't carry with him because it won't be useful. Sanzo is not a sentimental person when it comes to lugging heavy objects around that don't have some sort of purpose. But flowers, well, flowers show you spent some time thinking about him. And they're beautiful for the time being, but are impractical to carry with us because they will wilt in a few days anyway."  
  
Gojyo nodded. "Aside from the pragmatic, he might _like_ flowers." He rubbed his lips with callused fingertips, snatching the end of his cigarette and smashing it in a nearby ashtray. "People have funny soft spots like that."  
  
They watched Goku go with grins on their faces, unable to resist showing appreciation and affection for the boy. "That stinking monk doesn't deserve him," Gojyo commented.  
  
Hakkai shrugged. "They both have their moments."  
  
...  
  
Goku smiled happily and waved at the flower merchant as he left her stall. She wiped her hands on her apron and stared after him, unable to keep the grin from her features. The strapping lad had come to her looking for a bouquet "to make him not mad at me anymore." What she had given him might not have been especially beautiful, but the meanings of the flowers were sweet. And her customer had a certain taste for yellow. Yellow and violet.  
  
The stems Goku clutched were handsome in their own right. They had been given to Goku in return for his helping out around the stall for that entire afternoon. While he inexpertly trimmed stems and sheared leaves, she had managed to impart a little wisdom to him. And she had learned more about unconditional love than she could have ever thought possible.  
  
...  
  
Goku was starving, but unwilling to go to dinner without first showing Hakkai. He found the brunette easily, in the kitchen preparing a meal for the four of them alone. It smelled fantastic. Goku poked Hakkai in the arm and held up the bouquet for inspection.  
  
Hakkai smiled into it. "Goku, it's wonderful. I hope he likes it."  
  
"I do too," agreed Goku, looking a little nervous but definitely pleased that Hakkai approved of his choices. "The lady at the flower stall told me they mean stuff."  
  
Hakkai raised his eyebrows, turning back to his cooking but with both ears on Goku. "Oh, really?"  
  
"Uh huh." Goku pointed to a daffodil. "Respect. And the sun shining. That one sounded like Sanzo."  
  
Hakkai laughed. "Only you could equate Sanzo with a daffodil."  
  
Goku grinned a little. He pointed to a cluster of lavender hyacinth. "These smelled really good. And um...they're...oh yeah! They're for forgiveness."  
  
Hakkai swiped his little finger into the pot on the stove and stood with it contemplatively in his mouth. "Subtle," he remarked, unable to keep the grin out of his voice.  
  
"This one," Goku continued, pointing to a flower that looked quite similar to a daffodil, "is a...a...thing. I forget. But it says something like 'don't hate me any more'."  
  
Hakkai looked down at the flower. "Jonquil. I remember seeing those when I was younger."  
  
Goku nodded. "Yeah that sounds about right. And I like daisies so I got some of those too. They didn't have any dandelions but daisies are kind of close. We have dandelions at the temple."  
  
Hakkai laughed. "Goku, dandelions are considered weeds. They're supposedly harmful to grass and other plants. Daisies are a little friendlier."  
  
Goku frowned. "Dandelions don't _look_ like weeds. And then, then the lady at the stall gave me this one," Goku pointed to a large, beautiful, white camellia in the center of the handful of color. "She said it was lucky."  
  
Hakkai smiled. "And if anybody could use a little luck on his side, it's Sanzo. Are you going to give those to him at dinner?" Hakkai looked down to his cooking. "Which, by the way, is ready?"  
  
Goku's eyes grew large. "Great! I'm starving!"  
  
Hakkai smiled. "Well, how about you find a table for us and leave those flowers at Sanzo's place?"  
  
Goku nodded. "Okay! And then we can _eat_. I've been hungry all day."  
  
Hakkai watched Goku leave with a laugh in his throat. "When is that anomalous?"  
  
...  
  
When Sanzo came to dinner, the other three were already seated at the table, though they had yet to start eating. "Been waiting for you," Gojyo greeted, jerking a thumb over toward Goku. "The saru's gonna implode."  
  
"Am not! I'm just hungry!" Goku cried, shaking a fist at Gojyo. The redhead grinned and let Hakkai begin to serve.  
  
Sanzo took a seat, his eyes brimming with tears. "Who..." he began, staring at the flowers at his place.  
  
Hakkai nudged Goku. "Um, Sanzo? I...I know you're still mad at me so...so those are for you." Goku looked into his lap, blushing like a fire engine. "Don't be mad at me. I'm sorry." There was silence for a moment, but when Goku looked up tears were swimming in Sanzo's red-violet eyes.  
  
And then, quite violently, Sanzo sneezed. He slid his chair back from the table and put his hands over his mouth. The monk couldn't choke out another word before the second sneeze came, and tears worked their way down his cheeks. "All...lergic! Pollen!" he explained, rubbing furiously at his nose.  
  
"Oh, dear," said Hakkai. "There's a sink in the kitchen. Through the door to your right."  
  
Sanzo nodded and was gone with another sneeze hunching his back. Goku looked even more miserable than before. Hakkai shook his head and went to remove the flowers, when Gojyo stopped him. The redhead took the bouquet and followed in Sanzo's footsteps, heading for the kitchen.  
  
When he got there, he saw Sanzo hunched over the sink, splashing his face with cold water and wheezing into the basin. Gojyo, holding the flowers far from Sanzo, came up with a large glass. He bumped the monk with his hip. "Move, bouzu."  
  
Sanzo glared, red-eyed, at him, but allowed Gojyo to fill the makeshift vase. The redhead untied the twine that bound the flowers together and allowed them to spread freely in the glass. Gojyo put it in the window, so light refracted through water and glass, sending rainbows through the kitchen. He looked down to Sanzo and shrugged.  
  
"I just hate to see such care go to waste. It would be a shame, wouldn't it?"  
  
Sanzo didn't watch him leave, but plunged his head into the sink once more.  
  
...  
  
"Now you know."  
  
Goku scuffed his foot along the floor. "Sorry."  
  
Sanzo frowned at the kid's persistence. He cuffed Goku behind the ear, and let his hand rest in the boy's hair for a fraction of a second. "There are more important things to think about. Go to bed." 


	11. Burn

A/N: Last chapter was a mite dramatic. Heh. I'm getting away from that with this one. And the finale will most definitely be my favorite chapter. However, this one's here to waste the time. Enjoy!  
  
...  
  
Gojyo stood in the kitchen, talking comfortably with Hakkai. The flowers in the window were slowly wilting, turning a gentle brown at the edges of some of the petals, but only the undersides. Gojyo ran his thumb over the petals of one of the daffodils as Hakkai spoke, for once being the listening end.  
  
"Aa," he agreed. "Who would have thought?"  
  
"It's not completely out of left field, of course," Hakkai added. "Hakuryuu refuses to come anywhere near those flowers."  
  
Gojyo snorted. "Our car's got sinus problems. That explains why he backfires in fields."  
  
Hakkai smiled, rinsing out a pot from breakfast. "Of course, that means I haven't gotten a chance to feed him. He's been catching mice and rats on his own for a while." When Gojyo made a face, Hakkai laughed a little. "I figured he might like a break from that. Are you coming?"  
  
Gojyo shrugged and followed Hakkai without a word. They came to their room and found Hakuryuu curled beneath his own wings on Hakkai's bed. The brunette ran his hand down the dragon's back. Bright red eyes slowly opened, and Hakuryuu cooed in recognition. Hakkai held out a bit of leftover meat and the dragon chirped happily, taking the morsel between tiny, razor-sharp teeth. Hakuryuu swallowed and looked around, eyes settling on Gojyo, who was perched on his own bed. The dragon sniffed, wrinkled its nose, and convulsed in a sneeze that sent a fireball directly into Gojyo's face.  
  
The redhead flailed his arms, crying out in surprise. The fire dissipated almost immediately, though not without burning much of Gojyo's forehead, including the beginning of his hairline and his freshly-grown eyebrows. "_Ow!_ Stupid dragon!" Gojyo cried, advancing on Hakuryuu with intent to maim.  
  
Hakkai got between the two of them, putting his hands on Gojyo's shoulders. "Now, now, it's just an allergy. You probably have pollen on you. Let's get you healed, alright?"  
  
Gojyo snarled but sat back down on his bed, letting Hakkai put his hands over his burned skin. He winced at the sensation but knew Hakkai was doing him good. There was a moment of extreme discomfort, but then the skin went about restoring itself. Hakkai removed his hands and examined Gojyo's forehead. "I always hate having to heal burns," Hakkai murmured. "It takes a lot longer than anything else, even if these are minor. You'll have to regenerate the skin yourself. Until then, I'll put a bandage over that and then perhaps some ice."  
  
Gojyo frowned. "It's still that warm?"  
  
"I can't tell with my hands; that's always adulterated. However," Hakkai took Gojyo's shoulders under his hands and gently pressed his lips to the center of Gojyo's forehead. "Yes, we definitely need ice," he said when they both winced at the contact. "We wouldn't want your brain to boil," he added with a smile. "I'll be back in a moment. Hakuryuu should be fine with you."  
  
The dragon in question huffed and tucked his nose back under his wing. Gojyo shot a glare at him, but then lay back and waited for Hakkai's return.  
  
Hakkai found bandages and a waterbottle easily, filling it with icewater from the tap. He ran into Sanzo on his way back. "Oh, excuse me! I've got to get these to Gojyo as soon as possible, though."  
  
Sanzo nodded. "Come back out for a while afterward."  
  
Hakkai nodded without thinking, rushing back to Gojyo. The redhead was still sprawled on the bed, trying to look at his own forehead. Hakkai smiled. "Sit up," he ordered, taking a seat next to Gojyo. The kappa did as asked, and let Hakkai wrap the bandages about his head, though the contact stung.   
  
"Why, exactly, can't you fix this faster?" Gojyo grunted, taking the waterbottle Hakkai handed him and pressing it to his forehead.  
  
Hakkai shrugged. "Other healing is fusing what is already there together. Ruptured organs, broken skin, all of it has to do with closing a hole. This is a little different. It's like...well," Hakkai couldn't help but chuckle, "it's like growing back one's hair." Gojyo frowned at that, but it didn't last long. "You lay down and relax, poor victim. Hakuryuu won't bother you. I'll come back in a while because I know you'll get bored."  
  
Gojyo grinned. "See you, then."  
  
Hakkai left him, shutting the door behind his back, and went to find Sanzo. He encountered the monk at the same table they'd occupied the night before for dinner. "How's Gojyo?" asked Sanzo, not looking up.  
  
Asking about the redhead was only mildly uncharacteristic. Hakkai raised his eyebrows but did not comment. "Hakuryuu sneezed at him. You two have the same allergies, it seems. He'll be fine, though."  
  
"Damn." Sanzo waited until Hakkai took a seat across from him, and then looked him dead in the face. "I don't want any activities that may jeopardize the mission. Nothing."  
  
Hakkai sat silent for a moment, taken aback. "Of course not! Why wouldn't you? We've always been in agreement about that, even if Gojyo doesn't like it sometimes. No flirting with innkeepers, no gambling..."  
  
Sanzo shook his head. "He does those anyway. That's not my point, though. Hakkai, how many books would you say you read a month?"  
  
Hakkai paused again, wondering what point exactly Sanzo was trying to make. "None that I finish, unfortunately. I always leave them behind. But maybe two or three that I at least get a start on."  
  
"What was the title of the last one you read front to back?"  
  
_Oh. Oh. I see now._ Hakkai went for being utterly honest but cheerfully dense to the real undertone of the conversation. "I believe it was a book involving careful study of human anatomy," he replied, mildly pleased at his own wit. Sanzo twitched. "I can't seem to place the title, though." Hakkai canted his head to the side. "What I want to know from you, Sanzo, is what you were doing going through my dirty laundry."  
  
"For your information, it was _mine_. Forgot to grab my cigarettes. Hakkai..."  
  
"Mm? Oh, Sanzo, do you think that could _possibly_ be detrimental to our objectives in any way? Unless you let yourself get duly distracted, it's not been a problem for us this far. I'm a big boy who can control himself. Don't look at me like that."  
  
Sanzo couldn't help it. Hakkai, at times, was too pragmatic even for him. "Ch."  
  
Hakkai smiled. "After all, there's plenty of time to be awkward when there aren't more pressing matters. I'm not any different than I was before laundry day."  
  
"I know that."  
  
"Then we don't have a problem." Hakkai was cut off by a familiar howl from outside the room. "Oh, my, it appears Gojyo has antagonized Hakuryuu again. Are we finished here?"  
  
Sanzo nodded, a mite dumbfounded. Hakkai gave him a bright, handsome smile, and went off in search of more bandages. 


	12. Tickle

A/N: Here it is, the whizbang topper of 'em all. Anybody who's read any of my other works, well, this may be a bit predictable. But I really couldn't help myself.  
  
To everybody who reviewed: I am so glad you all enjoyed this as much as I did. Thank you for your constructive comments, although to everybody who called me a 'genius' I find your hyperbolizing undeservingly flattering. Thanks all the same, though! Enjoy this final installment. I couldn't stop grinning as I wrote it.  
  
...  
  
"Ch." Gojyo turned away, refusing to look at Hakkai. The brunette smiled.  
  
"It's true. You were the one that swatted at him."  
  
"He surprised me! Stupid thing, crawling on me..." Gojyo shuddered for effect.  
  
"He was apologizing for burning your eyebrows off. He knows how important they are to you," Hakkai added, unable to help himself. "He wouldn't intentionally hurt you."  
  
Gojyo pointed to the bandaged area of his shoulder visible outside his vest. "Oh, really?"  
  
Hakkai shook his head. "That one barely grazed you. You won't even need those bandages by morning." He smiled at Gojyo, who only looked away again, bristling with contempt. The two sat on Gojyo's bed that evening after dinner, securing a little quiet time. Gojyo's forehead was healing nicely, cooled by the near-constant presence of the cold water bottle. As much as Sanzo hated to lose another day, Hakkai had insisted the redhead not be subjected to the constant heat of a day's journey. Though the blonde wouldn't admit it, Goku and Gojyo more than made up for his lack of enthusiasm about taking a break.  
  
Said redhead poked Hakkai in the ribs. "Move, you, I want to lay down."  
  
Hakkai twitched, his fingers curling. More than that, though, he let out a very quiet little yelp.  
  
Gojyo stopped dead, poking finger still extended. "Was that you?" He tried it again. Hakkai twitched even more, turning pink from his cheeks to the shells of his ears. The brunette quickly moved to grasp his own sides, looking uncertainly at Gojyo.  
  
The redhead was grinning like a maniac. "All these years and I never knew," he murmured, fingers grasping at air before him. "I never knew you were ticklish, Hakkai."  
  
Hakkai got up, backing away from the gaze upon him. "Now, Gojyo, everybody has to have one. I...I...Gojyo, don't you come any closer!"  
  
"Oh, I couldn't _ever_ pass this up!" Gojyo cried, giving chase and tackling Hakkai halfway out into the hallway, his hands digging into the brunette's sides. Hakkai immediately convulsed, curling into a little ball over Gojyo's fingers, shaking with laughter.  
  
"Go...jyo!" he choked. "Stop it! You're...hurt!"  
  
"So worth it!" was Gojyo's response as he got to his knees for better leverage, dragging Hakkai back into their room with laughter almost as loud as his victim's. And then, with deliberate slowness, he took iron hold of one of Hakkai's ankles and carefully unlaced the man's shoe.  
  
"You...you _wouldn't_!" Hakkai cried, struggling to free himself. Gojyo freed Hakkai's foot and ran his fingernails over the arch. Hakkai kicked out but Gojyo sat on his other leg, deriving great amusement from having his usually stoic friend helpless with giggles on the floor. Hakkai had gone from pink to utterly flushed, laughing open-mouthed for inability to do anything else.  
  
Gojyo, out of mercy and deference to his own lungs, paused to let them both breathe. Once Hakkai regained his breath, he looked up at the ceiling and murmured, "You know, I'm not beyond attacking one of the infirm." He raised his head and locked eyes with Gojyo.  
  
The redhead responded with a grin that rivaled the Cheshire Cat, releasing Hakkai's foot and spreading his arms. "Come and get it if you can."  
  
Hakkai launched himself into a sitting position, diving maliciously at Gojyo and finding his mark almost immediately. The redhead cried out, unable to help himself, careening backward from both momentum and the desire to get away. "I'm a scholar," explained Hakkai, an evil smile curling his features as Gojyo squirmed. "I've _studied_ anatomy."  
  
Gojyo choked, took a deep breath, and caught both of Hakkai's wrists in his hand, flipping the man and yanking up one of his pant legs in one swift motion. Hakkai nearly bit his tongue when Gojyo's fingers found the backside of his knee. "Yeah? Well _I_ have a big brother!" he returned, catching his breath. Hakkai closed his eyes, reached out, and got one of Gojyo's socked feet in his hand. Gojyo yelped and, out of reflex, released Hakkai's leg.  
  
The smaller man easily flipped his opponent, making himself comfortable pinning both of Gojyo's legs down so he might torture the attached feet. The redhead screamed with laughter, struggling but unable to kick Hakkai off of him. He bit down on his finger, shaking from gut to shoulders. He swung an arm back, fisted his hand in Hakkai's shirt, and yanked him down to the floor next to him.  
  
"Oi," he gasped, reaching up with his hand still firmly entwined in the fabric of Hakkai's shirt, "howbout here?" Gojyo reached for the sensitive skin at Hakkai's neck. Out of reflex, the brunette twisted his head and trapped Gojyo's fingers. Gojyo went for the other side of Hakkai's neck. The same reflex happened. Gojyo grinned. "That's _fun_." He continued like that for a while, running one finger down alternate sides of Hakkai's neck, until the brunette reached up and got his hands under Gojyo's shirt and glanced featherlight touches over his side. Gojyo gave a bodily twitch, his arms seizing up and his jaw going slack.  
  
Hakkai had to laugh at the sight of it, diving onto his friend with renewed vigor at the hilarious reaction. Gojyo, in return, attacked Hakkai's sides until neither was sure who had the upper hand, although Hakkai looked down on the redhead on the floor. Yet both were helpless to the ministrations of the other, Gojyo absolutely refusing to quit tickling although his back arched away from the floor. He couldn't get much further because Hakkai was sitting on him, but did he ever try.  
  
And then Hakkai collapsed next to Gojyo, pinning one of the redhead's arms under his body and tangling their legs. "Truce?"  
  
Gojyo grinned, still breathing heavy. He turned his head and nodded. "Yuh. Truce."  
  
After a while, Hakkai lifted his head and asked, "How's the shoulder?"  
  
"Huh?" Gojyo looked down at the bandages and shrugged. "Just fine. My arm's falling asleep, though," he added with a grin, flexing the muscle under Hakkai. In one movement, he pulled his arm up and rolled Hakkai onto his chest, shaking out his hand. "Much better. Uh, for the arm anyway. Mind getting off?"  
  
Hakkai nodded. "Sure." He tried to roll off, but Gojyo's other arm caught him. "Pardon?"  
  
"Sorry," murmured Gojyo, smiling sheepishly up at Hakkai. "Panicked. Welcome to stay if you're comfortable." He raised his eyebrows a fraction and winced, hampered by his expressive face.  
  
"Oh, _Gojyo_," Hakkai chided, scooting up the taller man's body until he was over his forehead. "You've been sweating into your burn. It'll only hurt more as the night wears on unless I change the bandages."  
  
Gojyo looked up and found his eyes in a direct line with Hakkai's mouth. "It can maybe wait?" He ran a hand along Hakkai's neck, watching as the brunette winced, laughing weakly. "I can take it."  
  
Hakkai stared back down at him, bending his neck a bit to meet Gojyo's eyes. Suddenly, his head was inexplicably, insurmountably heavy. And as his mouth crashed down against Gojyo's, it was obvious the redhead didn't mind so much.  
  
...  
  
Sanzo yawned a bit, padding from the bathroom toward his own rooms. He heard laughter from Hakkai and Gojyo's room and went to yell at them to keep it down.  
  
When he looked in, however, it took a moment for him to regain his scattered wits.  
  
"Ah," he remarked, putting a hand on his hip. "It appears Gojyo has found out about it, then. I suppose it was only a matter of time." 


End file.
